Focus: Ideas/Innovations

Publications:

Are Migrants Spurring Innovation?, MPC Research Report 2012/11 (Migration Policy Centre, 2012) [text]
- See also related Debate Migration blog post.

The Best Small Ideas of 2012 (Foreign Policy Magazine, Dec. 2012) [text via USCRI FB]

"Out of Africa: A Scheme Where Helping Refugees Helps Everybody," The Independent, 17 Nov. 2012 [text]

Refugee Livelihoods, Innovation and the Private Sector, Oxford, 26 Nov. 2012 [access]
- Conference organized by the Humanitarian Innovation Project.  See also video highlights.

Social Entrepreneurship in the Age of Atrocities: Changing Our World (Edward Elgar, Aug. 2012) [info]
- Includes chapter on "Starting a Movement for Refugee Rights in the Global South: Asylum Access and Beyond."  See also related blog post.

"A Vacant Lot Offers Refugees a Taste of Home," New York Times, 27 Nov. 2012 [text]

Opportunity:

Senior Program Associate: Internews Center for Innovation and Learning [info]
- Apply by 11 January 2013.

[Image credit: Pushing the Envelope Blog]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Migration-related Items

The Migration Information Source has posted its Top 10 Migration Issues of 2012 list on its web site.  Included are:

• No. 4: Forced Migration: No Resolution in Sight for Syrians, Violent Outbreaks Displace Thousands across African Continent
• No. 8: Major Immigration Countries Take a Crack at Addressing Thorny Issue of Immigrant Detention
• No. 10: As Migration of Unaccompanied Minors Endures, and in Some Cases Rises, Governments Seek to Respond

IRIN also recently published an indepth feature on migration - "Crossing into the Unknown" - noting in the overview article that "Increasingly, the traditional distinctions between refugees, asylum seekers, forced and economic migrants are becoming less clear as people move from one country to another for a combination of reasons. In some cases, these may include fear of persecution, but often they also include the wish to improve economic prospects or reunite with family members."

Other resources include:

New books

The Global Economic Crisis and the Future of Migration: What Will Migration Look Like in 2045? (Palgrave Macmillan, Dec. 2012) [info]
- See also earlier related report.

The Migration Industry and the Commercialization of International Migration (Routledge, Dec. 2012) [info]
- See also earlier related policy brief.

Publications

50 Years of International Migration: Virual Issue [access]
- "Celebrating 50 years of International Migration this Virtual Issue includes classic articles from each Volume of International Migration selected by the ediitor and are free to download."

*Despite Crises, Migration Still a Political Hot Potato (IPS, Dec. 2012) [text]

Migrants in Times of Crisis: An Emerging Protection Challenge, New York, 9 October 2012 [access]
- The final report for this workshop is not yet available, but related materials are.

Moving to Safety: Migration Consequences of Complex Crises, International Dialogue on Migration, no. 20 (IOM, 2012) [text]
- Includes the "the report and supplementary materials of a workshop...which was held in Geneva, Switzerland on 24 and 25 April 2012."

Protecting Migrants during Times of Crisis: Immediate Responses and Sustainable Strategies, International Dialogue on Migration, no. 21 (IOM, 2012) [text]
- Includes the "the report and supplementary materials of a workshop...which was held in Geneva, Switzerland on 13 and 14 September 2012."

Upcoming event & opportunity

Migration and Asylum (Foundation Course), HREA E-Learning Course, 13 Feb. - 26 March 2013 [info]
- Discounts available for those who register before 15 December 2012 and 15 January 2013.

International Migrants Day, 18 December 2012 [info] [info]
- Held on the day that the General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

*updated

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Resettlement Resources

EASO & Refugee Resettlement (EASO Monitor, Nov. 2012) [text]

"Expanding Our Community: Independent and Interdependent Factors Impacting Refugees' Successful Community Resettlement," Advances in Social Work, vol. 13, no. 2 (Summer 2012) [open access text]

"Japan Announces that '0' Refugees Will be Resettled This Year," Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 32 (Dec. 2012) [full-text]

New Refugee Resettlement Strategy Unveiled (New Zealand Government, Dec. 2012) [text]

Refugee Resettlement Needs Outpace Growing Number of Resettlement Countries (Migration Information Source, Nov. 2012) [text]

Self-Study Module: Resettlement Learning Programme (UNHCR, Oct. 2012) [text]

Starting from Refugees Themselves: Towards an Institutional Ethnography of Resettlement, New Issues in Refugee Research, no. 247 (UNHCR, Dec. 2012) [text]

Worldwide Community of Resettled Refugees [info] [access]
- Online community for "any refugee or former refugee who has resettled in a third country... ." Free, but requires invitation to join; find out how via the info link.

[Image credit: Worldwide Community of Resettled Refugees web site]

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Employment Opportunities: December 2012 Deadlines

Refugee Status Determination Coordinator, with the African Refugee Development Center in Tel Aviv, Israel [info]
- Apply by 16 December 2012.

Public Relations Officer, Strategic Communications Section, with UNHCR in Geneva, Switz. [info]
- Apply by 17 December 2012.

Psychosocial & Mental Health Consultant on Addressing Human Trafficking, Kidnapping and Smuggling of Persons in East Sudan and Khartoum, with UNHCR in Kassala, Sudan [info]
- Apply by 18 December 2012.

Research Consultancy on the Study of Human Trafficking, Kidnapping and Smuggling of Persons in the East of Sudan, with UNHCR in Kassala, Sudan [info]
- Apply by 18 December 2012.

Information Management Officer, UN OCHA, in New York [info]
- Apply by 21 December 2012.

Education Consultant: Ninemillion Project Officer, with UNHCR in Geneva, Switz. [info]
- Apply by 24 December 2012.

Education Officer: UNHCR Education Strategy Rollout, with UNHCR in Geneva, Switz. [info]
- Apply by 30 December 2012.

Executive Director, USA for UNHCR, in Washington, DC [info]
- Apply by 31 December 2012.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.   

New Issue of RSQ

The latest issue (vol. 31, no. 4, Dec. 2012) of the Refugee Survey Quarterly (RSQ) has been published.  The theme is "Refugees in the European Union after the Treaty of Lisbon and the Stockholm Programme."  Many of the topics highlighted in the articles were discussed at an earlier conference organized by the guest editors on "The Governance of Asylum and Migration in the European Union.".

Contents include:

• The European Union Asylum Policy after the Treaty of Lisbon and the Stockholm Programme: Towards Supranational Governance in a Common Area of Protection? [abstract]
• How Effective are National and EU Policies in the Area of Forced Migration? [abstract] [working paper]
• Resisting Distalization? Malta and Cyprus' Influence on EU Migration and Asylum Policies [abstract]
• The "Other" Greek Crisis: Asylum and EU Solidarity [abstract] [working paper]
• Readmission Agreements of EU Member States: A Case for EU Subsidiarity or Dualism? [abstract] [preprint]
• The European Returns Policy and the Re-shaping of the National: Reflections on the Role of Domestic Courts [abstract]
• It is about More than Just Training: The Effect of Frontex Border Guard Training [abstract]

Tagged Periodicals.  

Focus: Human Trafficking/Forced Labour

The 2012 Global Report on Human Trafficking was released this week by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  As part of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Human Trafficking, the UN General Assembly mandated that the UNODC "collect information and report biennially, starting in 2012, on patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at the national, regional and international levels in a balanced, reliable and comprehensive manner, in close cooperation and collaboration with Member States, and share best practices and lessons learned from various initiatives and mechanisms" (see para. 60).

As such, the newly published report "provides an overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at global, regional and national levels, based on trafficking cases detected between 2007 and 2010 (or more recent). The report also includes a chapter on the worldwide response to trafficking in persons. The Country Profiles of the Global Report present a national level analysis for each of the 132 countries covered by this edition of the report."

This is the first issue of the global report under the UNGA mandate; an earlier 2009 report with the same title was produced within the framework of the UN.GIFT initiative.

Other recent publications:

Human Trafficking, a Shadow of Migration: Evidence from Germany, Discussion Paper, no. 1246 (German Institute for Economic Research, Sept. 2012) [text]

"Human Trafficking and Human Smuggling: Similar Nature, Different Concepts," Studies of Changing Societies: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Focus, vol. 1, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

"A Labor Paradigm for Human Trafficking," UCLA Law Review, vol. 60, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

The Protection of Internationally Trafficked Persons in Canada: Critical Gaps in Immigration Policy (Oppenheimer Chair, Dec. 2012) [text]

Secular and Faith-based NGOs: A Content Analysis of Priorities, Thesis submitted to the Graduate School (Ball State University, May 2012) [text]

Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress (U.S. Congressional Research Service, Dec. 2012) [text]

Understanding Forced Migration and Unfree Labour in the Global Economy, Keynote Lecture at Migration in a Changing World: Where Do We Go Now?, 5-9 Nov. 2012 [access]

Event & opportunity:

Research Network on Human Trafficking (Danish Institute for International Studies) [info]

Tackling Human Trafficking in Europe: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, Brussels, 30 January 2013 [info]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus: Asia, esp. Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Humanitarianism in Uncertain Times (Feinstein International Center, Dec. 2012) [text]

Afghanistan - Insurgent Strategies: Intimidation and Targeted Violence against Afghans (EASO, Dec. 2012) [text]
- Second country of origin information report from EASO; see also related press release.

Disasters: Asia's 2012 Figures and Trends (IRIN, Dec. 2012) [text]

Migration, Refugees, and Borders in Hong Kong, Toronto, 30 Nov. 2012 [info]
- Only the programme for this event is available, but abstracts for the three presentations are included.

The State of Human Rights 2012 (Asian Human Rights Commission, Dec. 2012) [access]
- Reports available for Bangladesh, Burma, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Talking to the Other Side: Humanitarian Engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan (ODI, Dec. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]
- See also related policy brief.

Tagged Publications.

Focus: Health

"Barriers and Facilitators of Social Supports for Immigrant and Refugee Women Coping with Postpartum Depression," Advances in Nursing Science, vol. 35, no. 3 (July/Sept. 2012) [free full-text]

"The Burden of Tuberculosis in Crisis-affected Populations: A Systematic Review," The Lancet Infectious Diseases, vol. 12, no. 12 (Dec. 2012) [free full-text with registration]

Caring for Volunteers: A Psychosocial Support Toolkit (IFRC, Aug. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Determinants of Health in Recently Arrived Young Migrants and Refugees: A Review of the Literature," Italian Journal of Public Health, vol. 9, no. 3 (2012) [open access text]

Do's and Don'ts in Community-based Psychosocial Support for Sexual Violence Survivors in Conflict-affected Settings (WHO et al., 2012) [text]

"The Impact of Risk and Protective Factors on Mental Health and Well-being: Austrian Adolescents and Migrant Adolescents from War-affected Countries," Italian Journal of Public Health, vol. 9, no. 3 (2012) [open access text]

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Conflict-related Sexual Violence: 10 Myths (WHO et al., 2012) [text]

Refugee Health Care: A Handbook for Health Professionals (NZ Ministry of Health, June 2012) [text]

"Well-Being in Refugee Women Experiencing Cultural Transition," Advances in Nursing Science, vol. 35, no. 3 (July/Sept. 2012) [free full-text]

Tagged Publications. 

Legal Events & Opportunities

EU Migration and Asylum Law and Policies, HREA E-Learning Course, 13 Feb. - 26 March 2013 [info]
- Different discounts available for those who register before 15 December 2012 and 15 January 2013.

European Union Asylum Law and Policy, London, 4 Feb. - 25 March 2013 [info]
- Eight week evening course.  Apply by 19 December 2012.

The International Protection of Refugees and Other Displaced Persons, London, 6 Feb. - 27 March 2013 [info]
- Eight week evening course.  Apply by 19 December 2012.

Arthur C. Helton Fellowship, American Society of International Law [info]
- Provides financial assistance for "law students and young professionals to pursue field work and research on significant issues involving international law, human rights, humanitarian affairs, and related areas." Application period runs until 7 January 2013.

Vacancy: Andrew W. Mellon University Lecturership in International Human Rights and Refugee Law, RSC [info]
- Apply by 9 January 2013.

Call for Papers: The Changing Face of Global Governance: International Institutions in the International Legal Order, Oxford, 12-13 April 2013 [info]
- Submit an abstract by 15 January 2013.

Call for Papers: University of Massachusetts Law Review [info]
- Theme issue on "Politics and the Law" and "Immigration and the Law." Abstracts due 15 January 2013.

Call for Papers/Registration: 2013 Nordic Asylum Seminar, Bergen, 6-7 June 2013 [info]
- Submit abstracts by 28 January 2013.

Call for Papers: Europe at the Edge of Pluralism Conference, Poznan, Poland, 13-14 June 2013 [info]
- Note the panel on "Migration Law, Human Rights and Beyond." The deadline for submitting abstracts is 15 February 2013.

Center for Forced Migration Studies' Summer Institute: The Refugee Status Determination Process, Evanston, IL, 2-9 June 2013 [info]
- Registration is open; apply before 2 May 2013 for a discounted rate.

Tagged Events & Opportunities.   

RSC's 30th Anniversary Conference: Resources

The Refugee Studies Centre's 30th Anniversary Conference on global refugee policy took place in Oxford on 6-7 December 2012.  A background paper and related comprehensive literature review were issued in advance of the meeting.

For those who were not able to attend, podcasts of the opening and closing plenaries have now been posted on Forced Migration Online (FMO).

In addition, you can get a sense of some of the individual presentations by reviewing Nando Sigona's and Hein de Haas' tweets from the respective days of the conference.

Additional presentations (this list will be added to as more become available):

"Going Back to Go Forward: Comparing the UK Policy Responses to Refugee Doctors in the 1930s and 2000s," Presentation by Ceri Butler, University College London, & John Eversley, London Metropolitan University

"Making of Global Refugee Policy A Practitioner's Reflections," Speech by Eric P. Schwartz, Dean of Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota


Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

New Issues of al-Majdal, Coping w/ Crisis, Disasters, Humanity, JIRS, Rev. Humanit.

al-Majdal, no. 50 (Autumn 2012) [full-text]
- Special 50th issue features a "hand-picked selection of articles" which present "a 'guide book' on the ongoing Palestinian displacement, its historical, ideological, and political causes since the Nakba, as well as the rights-based approach to the right to return as supported by international law."

Coping with Crisis, no. 2 (2012) [full-text]
- Focus is on "Kids can Cope."

Disasters, vol. 37, no. 1 (Jan. 2013) [contents]
- Mix of articles.

Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development, vol. 3, no. 3 (Winter 2012) [contents]
- This issue presents a "Dossier on Social Rights and Human Rights in the Twentieth Century." Includes "International Aid and Development NGOs in Britain and Human Rights since 1945."

Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, vol. 10, no. 4 (2012) [contents]
- Mix of articles including "The Evolving Identities of Unaccompanied Young Male Asylum Seekers in Malta," "Screening for War Trauma, Torture, and Mental Health Symptoms Among Newly Arrived Refugees: A National Survey of U.S. Refugee Health Coordinators," "Post-Displacement Employment and Health in Professional Iraqi Refugees vs. Professional Iraqi Immigrants," "Refugees: The Millennium Development Goals’ Overlooked Priority Group," and "Refugees’ Right to Employment and Evolving Responsibilities of Host Countries: The Urgency of Iraqi Refugees to Realize Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights."

Revue Humanitaire, no. 33 (2012) [full-text]
- Theme is "Migration: une chance à saisir."

Tagged Periodicals.  

Focus: Americas

UNHCR and Open Society's Justice Initative released a report today entitled "Citizens of Nowhere: Solutions for the Stateless in the U.S."  The report makes "recommendations to aid policy makers and legislators in implementing administrative and legislative changes to improve the lives of stateless individuals who already reside in this country...so that they are able to participate as full members of society."

Other publications focusing on this region:

Gangs in Central America (U.S. Congressional Research Service, Nov. 2012) [text]

Haiti: Human Security in Danger (FIDH, Nov. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

"'I am an American': Communicating Refugee Identity and Citizenship," Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research, vol. 11, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

"Migración y Refugio en la Argentina: Un Análisis desde la Legislación Actual = Migration and Refugees in Argentina: An Analysis of Current Legislation," Passagens, vol. 4, no. 3 (2012) [full-text]

"Mujeres, Conflicto y Desplazamiento Forzoso: Acción, Resistencia y Lucha por el Reconocimiento y la Inclusión = Women, Conflict and Forced Migration: Action, Resistance and Struggle for Recognition and Inclusion," Dilemata, no. 10 (2012) [full-text]

"A Proteção Internacional dos Refugiados no Ordenamento Jurídico Brasileiro = International Protection of Refugees in Brazilian Law," Revista Eletrônica do Ministério Público do Estado de Goiás, no. 2 (2012) [full-text]

Rights Out of Reach: Obstacles to Health, Justice, and Protection for Displaced Victims of Gender-Based Violence in Colombia (Human Rights Watch, Nov. 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

Today is Human Rights Day

Human Rights Day is commemorated each year on 10 December, the date on which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted.  The UDHR is truly universal: It is the world's most translated document (currently, 380+ languages) and has been awarded a Guinness World Record accordingly.  This year's theme is "My Voice Counts."

Human Rights Day presents an opportunity to highlight continuing violations of many of the rights enumerated in the UDHR.  In the forced migration context, examples include

• immigration detention (see, e.g., press release from the IDC and panel discussion programme)
• limiting migrants' access to protection (see, e.g., JRS Europe's report launch)
• Palestinian situation (see UNRWA press release)
• statelessness (see, e.g., the ENS' call for greater inclusion of the stateless)

December 10 also marks the culmination of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, a campaign to raise "awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels."  Read more from UNHCR and the Women's Refugee Commission.

[Image credit: © 2012 Empire State Building Company LLC in "Empire State Building Honors Human Rights Watch," 7 Dec. 2012]

Tagged Events & Opportunities.   

Focus: Europe

Publications:

"The Externalization of the EU's Southern Border in Light of the EU/Libya Framework Agreement: A Lawful Alternative or a Neo-Refoulement Strategy?," Vienna Journal on International Constitutional Law, vol. 6, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

"The Influence of Intercultural Factors on Asylum Decision Making in the Republic of Macedonia," Security Dialogues, vol. 3, no. 1 (2012) [open access text]

The Organisation of Asylum and Migration Policies 2012 (European Migration Network, Nov. 2012) [Belgium] [Ireland]

Refugee Protection or Irregular Migration Management? Examining the International Legal Principle of Non-refoulement in FRONTEX Operations in the Mediterranean (University of Twente, 2012) [text]

"The Shortcomings of Dublin II: Strasbourg’s M.S.S. Judgment and its Implications for the European Union’s Legal Order," European Yearbook on Human Rights 2012 (July 2012; posted Dec. 2012) [eprint via SSRN]

UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants Concludes the Fourth and Last Country Visit in His Regional Study on the Human Rights of Migrants at the Borders of the European Union: Greece (OHCHR, Dec. 2012) [text]

Web site:

Forum Asile [access]
- Blog that focuses on asylum issues in Switzerland.

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

Focus: Migrants in North Africa

Today, Jesuit Refugee Service Europe launched "Lives in Transition," a report which highlights the plight of migrants in Morocco and Algeria whose rights are frequently abused "largely because the European Union too often looks the other way."

Other recent publications that focus on the treatment of migrants in North Africa include:

"African Migrants in Morocco Tell of Abuse," New York Times, 28 Nov. 2012 [text]

"The Externalization of the EU's Southern Border in Light of the EU/Libya Framework Agreement: A Lawful Alternative or a Neo-Refoulement Strategy?," Vienna Journal on International Constitutional Law, vol. 6, no. 1 (2012) [full-text]

Libya: The Hounding of Migrants Must Stop (FIDH, JSFM & Migreurop, Oct. 2012) [text]

"Libya and International Refugee and Asylum Law: Addressing the Protection of Refugees and Migrants Displaced by the 2011 Conflict," Oxford Monitor of Forced Migration, vol. 2, no. 2 (Nov. 2012) [full-text]

"Libya’s Migrant Workers Still Targeted After the Revolution," Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2012 [text]

Treatment of Sub-Saharan Migrants in Morocco (ImmigrationProf Blog, Nov. 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications. 

New Issue of JRS

The latest issue (vol. 25, no. 4, Dec. 2012) of the Journal of Refugee Studies (JRS) has been published.  Articles include:

• Education and Identity: The Role of UNRWA's Education Programmes in the Reconstruction of Palestinian Nationalism [abstract]
• Life Skills Training as an Effective Intervention Strategy to Reduce Stress among Tibetan Refugee Adolescents [abstract]
• Welcoming the Unwelcome: The Politics of Minimum Reception Standards for Asylum Seekers in Austria [abstract]
• Communities of Knowledge or Tyrannies of Partnership: Reflections on North–South Research Networks and the Dual Imperative [abstract]

Three responses to the last article are included along with six book reviews.

Tagged Periodicals.

Kampala Convention Now in Force!

The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) officially entered into force today, 6 December 2012.  Here's the African Union's announcement.

For various reactions to this milestone, read:

• Africa Takes the Lead! World's First Continental Treaty to Protect Those Forced to Flee Comes into Force (IDMC & NRC, Dec. 2012) [text]
• African IDP Convention Comes into Force (IRIN, Dec. 2012) [text]
• An International Model Emerges Today in Africa to Address the Plight of Millions of Internally Displaced Persons:  Statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Chaloka Beyani to Mark the Coming into Force of the Kampala Convention (OHCHR, Dec. 2012) [text]
• A Landmark for Human Rights: The Kampala Convention on Internal Displacement Comes into Effect (UpFront Blog, Dec. 2012) [text]
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees Hails "Historic" Breakthrough on the Protection of Internally Displaced  People in Africa (UNHCR, Dec. 2012) [text]

For ratifications, see the AU's official list and IDMC's map (see above) showing countries which have signed/ratified or not signed and those with significant IDP populations.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) has also prepared a helpful media guide which provides an overview of the Kampala Convention and suggestions for how to spread the word on social networks.

Additional resources relating to the Convention specifically and IDPs generally can be found on the Brookings-LSE Project site, IDMC web site, and Refworld's IDP page.

Tagged Publications and Web Sites/Tools.

New Issue of FMR

Forced Migration Review (FMR) has just published a feature issue on "Preventing Displacement":

Addressing the causes of displacement – such as violent conflict, housing that cannot withstand a natural disaster, or a government that cannot guarantee a sustainable infrastructure – is the focus of some of the articles in this issue of FMR. Others look at how to manage situations that might cause displacement so as to make staying a better option. And yet others look at the legal and institutional context within which all this occurs.

In addition, "FMR 41 includes...a range of articles on other subjects such as North Koreans in China, East Africans adapting to the UK, the Rohingya, slum evictions in Tanzania, the Nansen Initiative and a new methodology for assessing the costs and impacts of displacement."

Tagged Periodicals.

Moot Courts: UC Davis Asylum & Refugee Law Competition

I reported in an earlier post on the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.  Another competition is the UC Davis Asylum & Refugee Law National Moot Court Competition.  Organized by the School of Law, it "provides law students from across the country the opportunity to participate in a hypothetical appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Competitors will write a brief as either respondent or petitioner on an issue related to asylum and refugee law. Shortly after submitting their briefs, students will participate in oral arguments. Students’ briefs and oral arguments will be judged by prominent judges, attorneys and scholars that specialize in the areas of immigration law and/or appellate advocacy."

The 2013 problem - "Vania Najjar, Petitioner, v. Attorney General of the United States, Respondent" - requires competitors to consider the following issues:

"1. Whether the Fourteenth Circuit Court of Appeals erred in denying petitioner’s application for asylum relief on the ground that her proffered group was not a ‘particular social group,’ as required under the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”).
2. Whether the Court erred in holding that petitioner failed to demonstrate a “well-founded fear” that upon return to her home country she would be subject to persecution on account of her membership in this particular social group."

Briefs are due 17 January 2013; oral arguments will be held 15-16 February 2013.

Two items from UNHCR may provide useful guidance in this case:

• The ‘Ground with the Least Clarity’: A Comparative Study of Jurisprudential Developments relating to ‘Membership of a Particular Social Group’, Legal and Protection Policy Research Series (UNHCR, Aug. 2012) [text]
• Guidelines on International Protection: “Membership of a particular social group” within the context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees (UNHCR, 2002) [text]

[Image credit: © UC Davis School of Law]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus: Humanitarian Assistance

Upcoming event:

The Changing Humanitarian Landscape: Obstacles and Opportunities, London, 6 December 2012 [info]
- First in a series of annual lectures.  Will also be streamed live.

Event after the fact:

Principles in Practice: Safeguarding Humanitarian Action, Brussels, 4 December 2012 [info]
- Several speeches are available here.  The Live Streaming link leads to a webcast of portions of the programme.

Publications:

Building Resilience to Recurrent Crisis: USAID Policy and Program Guidance (USAID, Dec. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Disaster Summary Sheet: Armed Conflict (ACAPS, Nov. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

"Humanitarian Principles in the Post-9/11 World," Perspective, no. 4-2012 (Nov. 2012) [text]

"Q and A on Humanitarian Principles," Perspective, no. 4-2012 (Nov. 2012) [text]

Responding to Urban Disasters: Learning from Previous Relief and Recovery Operations (ALNAP, Nov. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Rethinking Humanitarianism: Adapting to 21st Century Challenges (International Peace Institute, Nov. 2012) [text]

Technical Brief: Scenario Development (ACAPS, Nov. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]
- "In a crisis, how are humanitarian conditions likely to change? This is a step-by-step guide to build such scenarios either before or during an emergency."

The Use of Science in Humanitarian Emergencies and Disasters (UK Government Office for Science, June 2012) [text via PreventionWeb]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

CFPs/New Issues of EASO News, Eurasia Border Rev., Eur. Yrbk. Hum. Rts., FRLAN, IJMHSC, ICRC Rev., Nordic J. Intl. Law, Stability

CFPs:

University of Massachusetts Law Review [info]
- Theme issue on "Politics and the Law" and "Immigration and the Law."  Abstracts due 15 January 2013.

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies [info]
- Special issue on "The Public and the Politics of Immigration Policy."  Full articles must be submitted for consideration by 14 March 2013.

Stability: The International Journal of Security and Development [info]
- New journal seeking contributions on ongoing basis.

New issues:

EASO Newsletter (Nov./Dec. 2012) [full-text via EASO Monitor]
- News from the European Asylum Support Office.

Eurasia Border Review, vol. 3, no. 2 (Fall 2012) [full-text]
- Mix of articles including a book review of Seeking Asylum: Human Smuggling and Bureaucracy at the Border.

European Yearbook on Human Rights 2012 (July 2012) [contents]
- Click on "Inhaltsverzeichnis" to access the table of contents.  Mix of articles including "The Shortcomings of Dublin II: Strasbourg’s M.S.S. Judgment and its Implications for the European Union’s Legal Order," "Recasting the Dublin II Regulation: Do the Draft Provisions on Appeal Rights, Detention and Access to Asylum Procedures Sufficiently Protect Asylum-Seekers’ Fundamental Rights?," "The Externalization of the EU’s Southern Border in Light of the EU/Libya Framework Agreement: A Lawful Alternative or a Neo-Refoulement Strategy?," and "Statelessness and the Right to Have Rights: Universalism of Human Rights within the Context of the UN and EU."

Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 32 (Dec. 2012) [full-text]
- "News, reflection and learning on the provision of refugee legal aid... ."

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 8, no. 4 (2012) [contents]
- Contents include "Karen refugees from Burma: focus group analysis," "Mental ill health among asylum seekers and other immigrants in Sweden," and "Health needs and access to care in immigration detention: perceptions of former detainees."

International Review of the Red Cross, vol. 94, no. 885 (March 2012) [contents]
- The theme of this issue is "Occupation."

Nordic Journal of International Law, vol. 81, Spec. Issue (2012) [contents]
- A special issue in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg on "Exploring the Legacy of a Life Dedicated to Humanitarianism."

Stability: The International Journal of Security and Development, vol. 1, no. 1 (2012) [open access]
- New journal title that "features research and policy analysis focused on ending conflicts, preventing its recurrence, mitigating new forms of violence such as organised crime and extremism, and fostering peace and enabling development."

Tagged Periodicals and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus: Middle East, esp. Palestinians & Syrians

Analysis: Politics and Humanitarianism in Israel-oPt (IRIN, Nov. 2012) [text]

Assessment of the Situation of the Syrian Refugees in Kurdistan Region Iraq, MPC Research Report 2012/15 (Migration Policy Centre, 2012) [text]

The European Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: What Next?, MPC Research Report 2012/14 (Migration Policy Centre, 2012) [text]
- *See also related blog post.

*Failing Syria's Refugees (Foreign Policy, Dec. 2012) [text]
- Includes video interview with an expert who spent a month with Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Labour Force Survey among Palestinian Refugees Living in Camps and Gatherings in Lebanon, 2011 (ILO & EU, Nov. 2012) [exec. summ. via ReliefWeb]

Out in the Cold: Syria's Children Left Unprotected (Save the Children, Dec. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

Palestine: The Demographic and Economic Dimension of Migration, CARIM Analytic and Synthetic Notes 2012/04 (CARIM, 2012) [text]

Syrian Refugee Camps and Conflict in Turkey (DIIS Comment, Nov. 2012) [text]

Syrian Refugees: Reliance on Camps Creates Few Good Options (Refugees International, Dec. 2012) [text]
- See photo above.

Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: The Humanitarian Approach under Political Divisions, MPC Research Report 2012/13 (Migration Policy Centre, 2012) [text]

Syrian Refugees Living in the Community in Jordan: Assessment Report (IFRC, Sept. 2012) [text via ReliefWeb]

*updated

Tagged Publications. 

Focus: Asia/Pacific

Opportunity:

FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement for NGO Programs Benefiting Burmese Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Thailand and Malaysia, U.S. Department of State [info]
- Deadline for submitting proposals is 19 December 2012.

Publications:

Analysis: Australia's Offshore Asylum Process (IRIN, Nov. 2012) [text]

Challenges of IDP Protection: Research Study on the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons in Afghanistan (IDMC, Nov. 2012) [text]

Country of Origin Report: Vietnam (CORI, Sept. 2012) [text via Refworld]

Myanmar: COI Compilation (Accord, Nov. 2012) [text via Refworld]

"Protecting and Assisting Refugees and Asylum-Seekers in Malaysia: The Role of the UNHCR, Informal Mechanisms, and the ‘Humanitarian Exception’," Journal of Political Science and Sociology, no. 17 (2012) [full-text via KOARA]

"Psychiatric Ethics and a Politics of Compassion," Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, vol. 9, no. 1 (2012) [extract]
- Focuses on asylum seeker detention in Australia.

UNHCR Afghanistan: Statistical Summary of Conflict-induced Internal Displacement (UNHCR, Oct. 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

Focus: Europe & Migrant Rights

Carte des Camps (Migreurop, Dec. 2012) [access]

"Developing an Independent Anti-Racist Model for Asylum Rights Organizing in England," Ethnic and Racial Studies, iFirst Article, 22 Oct. 2012 [eprint]

"An Introduction to Frontex: Frequent Criticism," Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter, no. 32 (Dec. 2012) [full-text]

Leveson Report Finds Sensational or Unbalanced Reporting in Relation to Immigrants and Asylum seekers is Concerning (EIN, Nov. 2012) [text]

The Protection of Migrant Rights in Europe: Spain (Migreurop, Nov. 2012) [text]

Q&A: For Europe-Bound Migrants, Rights Violations Await (IPS, Nov. 2012) [text]
- Interview with Matt Carr, author of Fortress Europe: Dispatches from a Gated Community (Oct. 2012).

Tagged Publications. 

Focus: Europe & Law/Policy

Publications:

60 ans de la Convention de Genève: La Pratique Belge (Comité Belge d'Aide aux Réfugiés, June 2012) [analyse] [recommandations]

Instruire la demande d’asile: Étude comparative du processus décisionnel au sein des administrations allemande et française, Dissertation submitted to the Social Sciences Faculty (Université de Strasbourg &Philipps-Universität Marburg, Sept. 2012) [text]

"Key Priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (January-June 2013) in the Fields of Immigration and Asylum Policy," Interview with Alan Shatter TD, Minister for Justice and Equality of the Republic of Ireland (EurAsylum, Dec. 2012) [text]

"The Shortcomings of Dublin II: Strasbourg's M.S.S. Judgment and Its Implications for the European Union's Legal Order," European Yearbook on Human Rights 2012 (NWV, July 2012) [eprint via SSRN]

"A Tale of Two Decades: War Refugees and Asylum Policy in the European Union," Washington University Global Studies Law Review, vol. 10, no. 1 (2011) [open access text]

Opportunities:

EU Migration and Asylum Law and Policies, HREA E-Learning Course, 13 February-26 March 2013 [info]
- Discounts available for those who register before 15 December 2012 and 15 January 2013.

CFP: Europe at the Edge of Pluralism Conference, Poznan, Poland, 13-14 June 2013 [info]
- Note the panel on "Migration Law, Human Rights and Beyond."  The deadline for submitting abstracts is 15 February 2013.


Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities. 

New Book Titles

Just a quick note to let you know that new titles of books slated for publication in December 2012 have been "pinned" on my Forced Migration Library Pinterest page.  Please take a look!

Tagged Publications. 

Focus: Climate Change & Migration

Upcoming events:

How to Integrate Migration into Adaptation Strategies and Planning, COP18 Side Event, Doha, 3 December 2012 [info]
- Note: IOM will also host an exhibit on "Migration, Displacement and Adaptation, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Approach" on 7 Dec. 2012.

Relocation Due to Climate Change: Mapping the Divergent Responses of the Governments of Tuvalu and Kiribati, Presentation at 45th Annual Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, 3-7 December 2012 [abstract]

Publications:

Climate Change Litigation – A Rising Tide? (CDKN, May 2012) [text]

Climate Displacement and Migration, Loss and Damage, and the Journey Forward (FIELD, Nov. 2012) [text]
- See also related UKCCMC blog post.

Human Security in the Pacific: The Climate Refugees of the Sinking Islands, Thesis Submitted to the School of Law (Golden Gate University, Nov. 2012) [text]

Where the Rain Falls: Climate Change, Food and Livelihood Security, and Migration (UNU-EHS, Care & CIESIN, Nov. 2012) [access]
- Global policy report and case studies available via the link.  See also related IRIN news story.

Will Climate Refugees Get Promised Aid? (IPS, April 2012) [text]

Tagged Publications and Events & Opportunities.